RUSTY NAILS

My early morning muse helps me through radiation treatments

Her will

Her strength

Each morning she conquers the effects of my radiation treatments

My early morning muse brings me peace

First, I must coat my throat with spoonfuls of thick, thin cream of rice cereal.

I gulp down 10ml. of oxychodone,

quickly followed by more cream of rice

or rinse with a solution of baking soda and salt, whichever I think is “right” today.

While I wait for the medication to take effect I draw.

I take out my Sennelier oil pastels, my paper,  pastels, brush , watercolor crayons, pencils, india ink and a drawing stick.

I count how many pieces of paper I have left.

And most important I start to make a picture, the  idea coming from a thought  I had in bed before trying out my first swallow.